US officials addressed continued Iranian attacks on shipping and facilities in the Middle East, affirming a ceasefire remains in effect while “Project Freedom” proceeds.
Hegseth Addresses Iran Ceasefire
Pete Hegseth spoke on Tuesday, May 5th, regarding “Project Freedom,” an operation designed to enable commercial ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz. When questioned about whether Monday’s Iranian attacks on US vessels, commercial ships, and the Emirati oil export terminal signaled the end of the ceasefire, Hegseth responded that the ceasefire remains in place.
“The ceasefire is holding. This (“Project Freedom”) is a separate effort and we anticipated some turbulence at the beginning, which has indeed occurred,” Hegseth stated.
“Iran is Grasping at Straws”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Caine, stated that determining what constitutes a violation of the ceasefire is a political matter, and therefore not his purview. He also described the Iranian missile and drone attacks on ships and the port in the United Arab Emirates as “minor harassing fire.” He assessed that “Iran is grasping at straws.”
Iranian Attacks and Divided Command Structure
The General reported that since the ceasefire took effect nearly a month ago, Iran has fired upon commercial ships nine times and seized two container ships, as well as attacked US forces over 10 times. He assessed these attacks as being “below the threshold of needing to re-engage in significant combat operations.” Gen. Caine emphasized that Iranian command structures are deeply divided, allowing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to make decisions against the wishes of civilian authorities.
Hegseth Warns Iran
The Secretary of Defense warned Iran that further attacks will meet with a strong response. “If you attack American forces or innocent commercial vessels, you will meet with overwhelming and devastating American firepower… We prefer this to be a peaceful operation, but we are ready to defend our people, our ships, our aircraft, and this mission without hesitation. (We want) innocent ships to be able to transit freely,” Hegseth said.
Temporary Mission, Partner Responsibility
The Minister noted that the mission is temporary, and the US will hand responsibility for the Strait over to partners afterward. Hegseth assessed that partner nations are interested in such an undertaking. The Secretary of Defense also expressed hope that South Korea, whose ship was hit by Iran on Monday, will join efforts to unblock the waterway.
Strait of Hormuz Navigable
Hegseth assessed that Monday’s transit of two American ships and two US vessels through the Strait demonstrated that the waterway is navigable. Gen. Caine announced that additional ships will utilize the corridor designated by US forces, running near the coast of Oman.
“Kamikaze Dolphins” in the Strait of Hormuz?
Asked about reports that Iran is so desperate it is training “kamikaze dolphins” for attacks in the Strait, Hegseth said he could neither confirm nor deny that the US possesses such capabilities, but assessed that Tehran certainly does not. He simultaneously assured that, despite the weakening of Iranian forces, he does not underestimate the threat posed by the activity of small assault boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Middle East Conflict Background
The conflict began on February 28th with airstrikes by Israel and the US against Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on both Israel and Arab nations in the Persian Gulf region, including US military bases and civilian facilities such as airports and petrochemical installations. Iran also blocked free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, halting oil exports from the Middle East.
Ceasefire and US Position
A ceasefire has been in effect since April 8th, and was subsequently extended by US President Donald Trump. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasized in late April that Trump has not set a date for the end of the ceasefire.
